Maryland Commission Chair Resigns, Citing 'Emasculated' Powers

Michael Algeo, who has served on the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) since 2016 and was chairing that board, resigned from both positions, effective immediately, June 14.

Frank Vespe of Maryland's “Off to the Races Radio” was first to report the scoop on his show's June 17 broadcast.

Algeo's departure accentuates a time of regulatory upheaval within Maryland racing that in recent months has been marked by three other long-serving commissioners (David Hayden, Tom Bowman, Tom Winebrener) also either resigning from the MRC or not having their terms renewed by the governor.

Those recent departures have roughly coincided with the passage of a Maryland law in April to create a to-be-appointed oversight board with broad powers, the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA).

In addition, the MRC is in the midst of the nationwide regulatory transition involving the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority coming into power to police the sport's safety and drug testing.

Speaking on Vespe's show, Algeo also cited other concerns for the sport as he leaves his position, like the seemingly never-ending cycle of horse safety issues, plus the decades-old debate within Maryland about whether Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course, or both figure into the state's long-term plans for racing.

“I've often compared it to playing a Whac-A-Mole game,” Algeo told Vespe. “The minute you address one issue, one crisis, up pops another. And so I just thought it was time for new blood, younger blood, somebody that can come in and have a fresh look. And God bless them, because it's a great industry, and I feel very honored to have served for the past seven years….I'm going to be as interested as everybody else to see where this goes and how this all ends.”

Asked by Vespe how all those pieces of the puzzle-the MRTOA, HISA, horse safety, the possible rebuilds at Pimlico/Laurel-are going to fit together under the commission's umbrella, Algeo admitted he didn't have a good answer.

“I'm going to plead ignorance,” Algeo told Vespe. “I don't know how they're going to fit together. [The question I often get now is] 'Oh, so Maryland has created a new racing authority to oversee Maryland racing. So there is no more commission?' That's the question I'm getting. That's the perception of people, and perceptions carry a lot of weight.”

Algeo continued: “I believe that the role of the MRC has been diminished significantly. It has been emasculated significantly. And it is not what it was when I started in 2016. And so it's going to be really interesting to see how two entities, the racing authority and the racing commission, work together.

“The simple answer is that the commission is a regulatory body, period,” Algeo told Vespe. “I have been told that the [MRTOA] is really just a failsafe creation in the event that [1/ST Racing, which owns Laurel and Pimlico] should leave Maryland and [some entity] is needed to run the day-to-day operations. But until it actually forms and we see how it operates, I still have a lot of questions.”

Algeo is a retired Maryland Circuit Court judge. His stint as the board's chair had been scheduled to end in October, with his term on the MRC expiring in July 2024.

Last month, Algeo was honored before the GI Preakness S. with the Special Award of Merit at Pimlico's annual Alibi Breakfast. That award recognizes those “who have made a positive impact on the racing industry.”